4 ms·

Can anybody explain what's special about WebGL demos? I mean, don't we already know that WebGL exposes possibilities of OpenGL to JavaScript through browser? Am

by zerr 12y ago

Can anybody explain what's special about WebGL demos? I mean, don't we already know that WebGL exposes possibilities of OpenGL to JavaScript through browser? Am I missing something?

malkia 12y ago
I was able to see and interact with it, without downloading a binary file, installing it, or directly running it. The demo run just fine (perceivable 10-15fps) on my oldest chromebook - C710. And it is amazing.
Touche 12y ago
> Can anybody explain what's special about WebGL demos? Yes, you are able to see it by clicking a link on news.ycombinator.com. In fact, all articles on Hacker News are viewable by clicking a link. That's why they're here.
anon1385 12y ago
>Am I missing something? No not really. Just web developers being excited that the lords and masters who control their s̶h̶a̶c̶k̶l̶e̶s̶ sandbox have dropped them a few crumbs allowing them to compete with the native software of 1996.
- robin_reala 12y ago
  1996 was pre-GeForce256. Your timeline is off.
- Igglyboo 12y ago
  No way in hell you could do this realtime in 1996, native or not.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - adrianN 12y ago
    There are some impressive demos from the late 90's. For example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUm8_b8fIuU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUm8_b8fIuU
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
    - jdmichal 12y ago
      Demos are not typical and in no way demonstrate the general usage of a GPU. They use very dirty tricks to render out a specific output, and are practically useless otherwise. Here's a list of actual software that was released in 1996: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_in_video_gaming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_in_video_gaming Notable entries for this conversation: * Duke Nukem 3D * Civilization II * Quake * Command & Conquer: Red Alert * Diablo * Quake These were good games, but not necessarily what anyone would consider graphical powerhouses with a modern frame of reference.
    - Igglyboo 12y ago
      In addition to my sibling, we have no idea if those demo's are realtime. While we can see that the OP is realtime. Compare a pixar film to your average AAA video game, hour(s) of rendering time vs millisecond(s).
      - krisgee 12y ago
        They're real time, that's the whole point of demos.
- 21echoes 12y ago
  i think you're flipping the script here: the web isn't "shackled", it's a virtual machine that almost everyone and their grandmother has chosen to install. tell me how one could, in 1996, get any computer made in the last two or four years to run this software at this quality in under 3 seconds? virtual machines are slower in exchange for their universality, and we're now at the point where they're fast enough to do awesome things.
acdha 12y ago
As others have pointed out: 1. I click in Firefox and it just works 2. I click in IE and it just works 3. I click on my iPhone and it just works … repeat as desired … That's never been true of OpenGL (or 3D in general) before so there's always been this divide in what people consider possible for a web app (i.e. convenient, easily shared) and the conventional software model where someone needs to download and install something first – a big step up in delay and complexity, and a reasonable hesitation for the security-conscious. The excitement comes from the fact that now none of that is necessary for many uses – if you're working on a non-AAA game, 3D object viewer, interactive diagram, etc. etc. etc. you get support for 70% of web users globally without having to take on the expense of desktop development and support or supporting so many different toolchains. This isn't a big change for the major players who are still going to do that for other reasons but it simplifies a ton of casual usage.
- robin_reala 12y ago
  Plug, but the ga.me people (https://ga.me/ https://ga.me/) work just down the road from me and are doing some pretty amazing stuff with WebGL games. OK, it’s not AAA, but worst it’s as least as good as the majority of Kongregate stuff and best it’s much better. And this is all just in the browser, no engine download or plugin necessary.
  - andreyf 12y ago
    Wow, impressive! And on an open platform, too: http://news.turbulenz.com/post/49430669886/turbulenz-engine-goes-open-source http://news.turbulenz.com/post/49430669886/turbulenz-engine-...
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- richardwhiuk 12y ago
  It really isn't true. It doesn't just work. I'm running Chrome 38 on a modern desktop PC and it doesn't render at a reasonable frame rate.
benihana 12y ago
>Am I missing something? Yes, a sense of joy.
- zerr 12y ago
  Well, I had a joy for the first 4-5 demos of WebGL, OK :)
malandrew 12y ago
because hyperlinks. Everything is better when you can hyperlink to it.

by zerr 12y ago

Can anybody explain what's special about WebGL demos? I mean, don't we already know that WebGL exposes possibilities of OpenGL to JavaScript through browser? Am I missing something?

malkia 12y ago

I was able to see and interact with it, without downloading a binary file, installing it, or directly running it. The demo run just fine (perceivable 10-15fps) on my oldest chromebook - C710. And it is amazing.

Touche 12y ago

> Can anybody explain what's special about WebGL demos? Yes, you are able to see it by clicking a link on news.ycombinator.com. In fact, all articles on Hacker News are viewable by clicking a link. That's why they're here.

anon1385 12y ago

>Am I missing something? No not really. Just web developers being excited that the lords and masters who control their s̶h̶a̶c̶k̶l̶e̶s̶ sandbox have dropped them a few crumbs allowing them to compete with the native software of 1996.

robin_reala 12y ago
1996 was pre-GeForce256. Your timeline is off.
Igglyboo 12y ago
No way in hell you could do this realtime in 1996, native or not.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- adrianN 12y ago
  There are some impressive demos from the late 90's. For example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUm8_b8fIuU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUm8_b8fIuU
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - jdmichal 12y ago
    Demos are not typical and in no way demonstrate the general usage of a GPU. They use very dirty tricks to render out a specific output, and are practically useless otherwise. Here's a list of actual software that was released in 1996: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_in_video_gaming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_in_video_gaming Notable entries for this conversation: * Duke Nukem 3D * Civilization II * Quake * Command & Conquer: Red Alert * Diablo * Quake These were good games, but not necessarily what anyone would consider graphical powerhouses with a modern frame of reference.
  - Igglyboo 12y ago
    In addition to my sibling, we have no idea if those demo's are realtime. While we can see that the OP is realtime. Compare a pixar film to your average AAA video game, hour(s) of rendering time vs millisecond(s).
    - krisgee 12y ago
      They're real time, that's the whole point of demos.
21echoes 12y ago
i think you're flipping the script here: the web isn't "shackled", it's a virtual machine that almost everyone and their grandmother has chosen to install. tell me how one could, in 1996, get any computer made in the last two or four years to run this software at this quality in under 3 seconds? virtual machines are slower in exchange for their universality, and we're now at the point where they're fast enough to do awesome things.

acdha 12y ago

As others have pointed out: 1. I click in Firefox and it just works 2. I click in IE and it just works 3. I click on my iPhone and it just works … repeat as desired … That's never been true of OpenGL (or 3D in general) before so there's always been this divide in what people consider possible for a web app (i.e. convenient, easily shared) and the conventional software model where someone needs to download and install something first – a big step up in delay and complexity, and a reasonable hesitation for the security-conscious. The excitement comes from the fact that now none of that is necessary for many uses – if you're working on a non-AAA game, 3D object viewer, interactive diagram, etc. etc. etc. you get support for 70% of web users globally without having to take on the expense of desktop development and support or supporting so many different toolchains. This isn't a big change for the major players who are still going to do that for other reasons but it simplifies a ton of casual usage.

robin_reala 12y ago
Plug, but the ga.me people (https://ga.me/ https://ga.me/) work just down the road from me and are doing some pretty amazing stuff with WebGL games. OK, it’s not AAA, but worst it’s as least as good as the majority of Kongregate stuff and best it’s much better. And this is all just in the browser, no engine download or plugin necessary.
- andreyf 12y ago
  Wow, impressive! And on an open platform, too: http://news.turbulenz.com/post/49430669886/turbulenz-engine-goes-open-source http://news.turbulenz.com/post/49430669886/turbulenz-engine-...
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
richardwhiuk 12y ago
It really isn't true. It doesn't just work. I'm running Chrome 38 on a modern desktop PC and it doesn't render at a reasonable frame rate.

benihana 12y ago

>Am I missing something? Yes, a sense of joy.

zerr 12y ago
Well, I had a joy for the first 4-5 demos of WebGL, OK :)

malandrew 12y ago

because hyperlinks. Everything is better when you can hyperlink to it.